Your Mule Cashout leader Oleg Korniev pleads guilty in the US: network used 15,000+ money mules to launder at least US$10M stolen by hackers from 750+ bank accounts
The US Justice Department said on 8 October 2026 that Oleg Korniev, 42, a dual Ukrainian and Russian citizen, pleaded guilty to running the Your Mule Cashout (YMCO) money-laundering organisation, which recruited more than 15,000 US-based money mules to launder at least US$10 million stolen by hackers from over 750 US bank accounts. Mules were recruited through spam from fake companies and an apparently normal hiring process, told they were processing payments for real businesses, and then wired stolen funds through Western Union and MoneyGram to cash-out contractors abroad (BleepingComputer lists Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Latvia). Korniev admitted YMCO caused more than US$14.7 million in actual and intended losses and that he laundered at least US$7 million; he was arrested in the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty to money laundering, computer-fraud and access-device conspiracies and aggravated identity theft, and faces two to 50 years at a later sentencing. Four other YMCO members were earlier extradited and sentenced to about 37 to 63 months. BleepingComputer, citing the case, reports that YMCO ran similar mule schemes in Germany, Italy, the UK and Australia since it began in 2007. For employers and job seekers, 'payment processing' job offers that move money through personal accounts remain a classic mule recruitment pattern. Primary: US DOJ; wire: BleepingComputer.
- Product
- n/a (cybercrime money-laundering network)
- Versions
- n/a
- Exploited in Australia?
- unknown
- Patch to
- Banks and payroll teams: watch for new accounts receiving and quickly forwarding funds; warn staff and job seekers that 'payment processing' roles moving money through personal accounts are mule recruitment.
Primary: US Department of Justice — Ukrainian-Russian dual citizen pleads guilty to running international money laundering organisation (8 Oct 2026) · BleepingComputer — Man admits to running network of 15,000 money mules for cybercriminals (9 Oct 2026)